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tkurosaka2
Community Member

Need for translation job template

I am a software developer but also trying to start a translation service (English to Japanese). And I have been frustrated because the project descpritions tend to be very vague and in order to ask questions I have to use my connect points and make a proposal.

 

For example, I applied for a translation project that seem to indicate they have multiple opportunities. The client contacted me and interviewed me only to find they are looking for someone who can translate legal documents, which requires special skill set than, say, consumer oriented web applications. This same client was also had a tag "live interpreter" in addition to "written document". I see many clients who tags "translation" when they mean "interpretation".

 

Wouldn't it be helpful if upwork could come up with some kind of translation job template and encourage their clients to use it. The template would list things like:

 

  • Translation or interpretation
  • Source language
  • Target language
  • Approximate number of source words (or character if Chinese and Japanese):
  • Type of contents (general, science, technology, etc.)
  • Delivery format (Word, Powerpoint, XLIFF, etc.)
  • Dead line, if any
  • Any special skills/experiences required? (Legal translation, medical translation etc.)

This is good for clients too as they can reduce waste of time dealing with free lancers that don't match their requirements.

What would the community think?

 

Also, I feel upwork should consider to have an option of having per-word rate, since it is the standard practice in the translation industry. I found a discussion in 2014 about this and at that time they seem to focus on other areas.

 

8 REPLIES 8
prestonhunter
Community Member

Kuro:

Everything you say about a translation job template makes sense.

 

Except that Upwork is not a translation service.

 

Upwork is essentially a freelancer work platform for web developers, which happens to allow other types of freelancers (including translators) use it.

 

When you think of things form that point of view, it may help to understand why Upwork does NOT have some of the translation-specific user interface elements you logically point out would be helpful.


Preston H wrote:

Kuro:

Everything you say about a translation job template makes sense.

 

Except that Upwork is not a translation service.

 

Upwork is essentially a freelancer work platform for web developers, which happens to allow other types of freelancers (including translators) use it.

 

When you think of things form that point of view, it may help to understand why Upwork does NOT have some of the translation-specific user interface elements you logically point out would be helpful.


Gosh, as a client who nearly exclusively uses Upwork for translators, I guess I've been doing it wrong this whole time then...

 

Kuro, job templates as a concept have been floated before. The problem is that the types of work that clients can offer through Upwork is nearly infinite.

 

Upwork has significantly improved the interface when clients post jobs (although it of course could do with some more improvement). It actually does ask about skills, including legal translation, and makes suggestions based on the job title and description. If this client didn't put legal translation in their job posting, that's more a fault with the client creating a poor job post than with the system. Upwork is not psychic, and can't guess what a client is looking for and make suggestions for skill requirements if the client writes a bad description in the first place.


Preston H wrote:

Kuro:

Everything you say about a translation job template makes sense.

 

Except that Upwork is not a translation service.

 

Upwork is essentially a freelancer work platform for web developers, which happens to allow other types of freelancers (including translators) use it.

 

When you think of things form that point of view, it may help to understand why Upwork does NOT have some of the translation-specific user interface elements you logically point out would be helpful.


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Preston if you could provide the proof of this, then of course it would help the many top-rated freelancers and clients in the translating field to migrate somewhere else, which no doubt would please you - but perhaps not Upwork

 

I wouldn't dream of answering any questions on web development as I have no experience whatsoever in this area. By the same token, I think you should  refrain from answering translation questions or suggestions as you are NOT a translator, nor are you a client asking for translating services. 

 

It might interest you to know that in our GLOBAL world of freelancing, translation in every language is essential - particularly in web development. These days, there is no place for language insularity however much you would like it. 

Upwork might have started for web developers doing free lance work, I don't believe it is just for web developers. As a matter of fact, if you click on "JOB SKILL DISCUSSION" in the menu of this community page, "Writers and Translators" appear as one of the types of jobs that upwork handles. Having said that, lack of per-word rate option shows it is not a focus of upwork, sadly.

 

Anyway the fact of matter is that in many cases we translators have to spend "connect" points just to find out the job isn't for them. My next wish is upwork considers a step before submitting proposal. It could allow the freelancers to use 1 connect to ask question to the client about the project. Better, if the clarification question & answer could be in the comment form so that any potential free lancers can watch. (Maybe they tried this before and backed out because of too much abuse?)


Preston H wrote:

 

Upwork is essentially a freelancer work platform for web developers, which happens to allow other types of freelancers (including translators) use it.


It "allows" other freelancers?

Where in the world did you get that from or is that another example of you pulling stuff out of (somewhere) and presenting it as a fact when it isn't?

 


Preston H wrote:

Upwork is essentially a freelancer work platform for web developers, which happens to allow other types of freelancers (including translators) use it.

 


Given that this is a public forum and that such statements affect the perception of Upwork and people's decisions whether it's worth their while posting/applying to projects or not here,  referencing where this came from is quite important.  At least then we could read it in context. 

Upwork is essentially a writing and translation platform which happens to allow other types of freelancers, especially IT people for God knows what reason, use it.

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"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless

Lol I like Preston. Go Preston! 

 

EDIT: The real question is, which services are generating the most revenue for Upwork? I suspect web development, based on the fact that they tend to have longer projects. But at the same time, writing related projects are higher volume.